


Making A Show Of It

by AkinoAme



Category: Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger, Kamen Rider OOO
Genre: Aftermath of Super Hero Taisen, Chiyoko is everyone's mom, Cyborgs, Forgiveness, Kidnapping, Mistaken Identity, Mistaken for being in a poly relationship, Other, Space Pirates, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-03
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:55:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22995793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AkinoAme/pseuds/AkinoAme
Summary: Some time after Super Hero Taisen, a case of mistaken identity causes Hina's path to cross with that of the Gokaigers again. This time, they need her to pose as a legendary space pirate so they can try to save Eiji from a pair of surviving Zangyack. As the situation leads them down a twisted path, can they put aside their differences and make a decent pirate out of her?
Relationships: Hino Eiji/Izumi Hina, slight Luka/Ahim
Comments: 3
Kudos: 9





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This fic's placement in continuity is "Screw it, they're pirates, they can do whatever they want." Therefore, this ignores basically anything that comes after Super Hero Taisen, especially if it leads to things like, oh, the Gokai Galleon being destroyed and thus making this fic a lot harder to write.
> 
> Thanks to Wei Jiangling and drunkpandaren for helping with names.

It was a quiet night, and the full moon shone brightly overhead. Where normally, the road to Hina's apartment would be full of people, even at this time of night, an earlier rain shower had cleared the street. Despite the puddles, it was a perfect night for a walk.

"Thanks for walking me home," Hina said.

Eiji, who was walking next to her, smiled and insisted, "It's no big deal. I'm happy to do it."

She smiled back. "Thank you anyway, though. It's nice, getting this time to spend with you before you start traveling again."

He nodded, his smile a little more embarrassed. "I might be away a little longer this time. Maybe all year. I'll try to come back for the holidays, but..."

She shook her head. "You're trying to bring Ankh back. That's going to take time. So for now, let's just enjoy the time we've got together."

She took his hand, giving it as gentle a squeeze as she could manage. Smiling genuinely now, he nodded as they stood wordlessly for a moment under the moonlight.

"Okay," she admitted. "I can go in from here."

"Do you want me to walk you to the door?" he checked.

"I'd better not," she said. "My brother has to go in really early tomorrow, and I don't want to wake him. I'll text you when I'm inside, though."

"Okay," he agreed. "I won't send anything back, just so I don't wake him."

"Thanks," she answered before heading off to the building.

Eiji watched her disappear into the shadows of the complex, then took out his phone. After a few minutes, a series of text messages popped up:

_I'm home! :)_

_See you tomorrow!_

_Good night! :)_

Eiji smiled and started to put away his phone when a sudden shadow passed over him. He glanced up, startled, but saw nothing. The sky was as clear as ever, leaving him completely exposed in the bright moonlight.

He started to reach for the OOO Driver, every one of his instincts screaming at him that he was in danger. But as soon as his hand went to his pocket, a cable wrapped around his wrist, yanking his arm away. A second then wrapped itself around his other hand, forcing him to drop his phone as that arm was pulled in the same direction.

With the night as lit up as it was, Eiji could see the cables were gleaming silver, with multicolored, glowing circuitry running all along them. They led back to a tall, thin being with skin the same color, clothed in a white greatcoat, a series of cables bound around his waist as a belt. Atop his head was an overly large, puffy turban in white and silver that reminded Eiji of a medieval or Renaissance costume, although the long mustache of tendrils that stuck straight out, that the being twisted around, made him look decidedly villainous. The same circuitry was all over his skin as well, the glow less obvious in the moonlight.

"My, your pulse is racing," he said. "How appetizing."

Eiji tried to ignore the disturbed feeling that left him with, instead demanding, "Who are you?"

"Apologies," the being replied. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Count Waguibion of Wisborg, second cousin of Emperor Ackdos Gill of the Zangyack Empire, long may he reign."

"Zangyack?" Eiji repeated, staring in shock. The last—only—time he'd heard of them was the debacle between the Kamen Riders and the Super Sentai. And they'd seen to it that the Dai-Zangyack had been destroyed. How could there be another of their number here now?

"But of course," Waguibion replied.

He drew the cables toward himself, pulling Eiji along with them until they were directly in front of one another. Eiji continued to try to pull himself free, but Waguibion insisted, "Oh, do try not to spill any blood that way. It's a terrible waste, and my dear Admiral would be so disappointed if I brought you back with unnecessary injuries. Although..." Here, he lifted Eiji's arms and sniffed at his wrists. "Although, that blood might not go to waste after all. I'm detecting a light citrus aroma, perhaps some berry—seems light-bodied. That's not usually my preference, but when I've gone so long without a drop, perhaps..."

His mouth started to go to Eiji's wrists. Acting more on reflex than anything else, Eiji brought up his leg and kicked Waguibion in the side as hard as he could, even though it meant he also hit the ground. But the impact caused the Count to loosen his grip on Eiji's arms enough for him to slip free.

Eiji jumped to his feet and started running. He could try transforming as soon as he'd put some distance between himself and the Zangyack Count.

It wasn't to be. Another set of cables ensnared his ankles, and he tripped, crashing to the ground. Even more wrapped around his body, completely immobilizing him as Waguibion pulled him to a standing position, gagging him with yet another cable.

"Cute," the Count remarked dryly. "But then, I should have expected you to put up a fight. My lady never did settle for just a pretty face."

He pushed Eiji's head to the side, exposing his neck. Eiji's heart began to pound, and through the gag, he started trying to yell—for the Count to stop, for someone to help, anything. But a metal finger stroked his cheek as the Count said, "Don't worry. You'll be feeling better in no time."

He opened his mouth, revealing a pair of silver fangs, then brought his face down to Eiji's neck. Eiji felt a sharp pain and jerked his head up as a disorienting sensation hit his brain. It was like someone else's thoughts were trying to force themselves into his head, like he was losing control of himself. At the same time, he could feel the strength draining out of his body, and he started to panic. His heart continued to pound, and he kept pleading through the cables in his mouth, tears running down his face.

Finally, a wave of fatigue hit him, and his vision started to fade out. He could faintly feel his body getting heavier and limper until he fell out of the Count's grasp, hitting the ground in an unconscious heap. Warguibion watched, bemused as he wiped the blood from his lips and concealed his fangs once more.

"Well, that's not how that usually goes," he admitted, turning Eiji's body over with his foot. "Still, it's probably fortunate. My dear Admiral did insist he be brought aboard alive. Perhaps now, he'll be a little more amenable to his situation."

He yanked Eiji up by the cables and checked to be sure that the wound had healed itself before activating his communicator.

"Admiral, I've secured the prisoner with only minor injuries. Do please beam us aboard."

The same shadow passed over the moon, and a beam of white light shone down on them. Their bodies shimmered for a moment before disappearing into the light, and the shadow vanished from the sky.


	2. Strange Tides

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hina and Chiyoko are recruited by the Gokaigers after an important message about Eiji reaches their ship.

There was a certain sort of normality that Hina had gotten used to over the last several months, and in retrospect, that made it dangerous.

Shingo was covering a coworker's earlier shift that week, so as soon as she got in the door, Hina sent off a quick set of text messages to Eiji letting him know that she'd gotten inside, then she quietly changed and went to bed. Morning was quiet without her brother, so she slept a little later than she probably should have, then rushed to shower and eat before running to Cous Coussier. She was just about to enter when she got a text from Shingo:

_Did Eiji lose his phone last night? Someone just turned it in to the station._

She blinked in surprise as she read the message. Eiji had just been outside her apartment the night before. Had he managed to drop his phone on the way home?

She started opening the door, only to find Chiyoko pushing it open on her way out, carrying a load of garbage.

"Oh, Hina!" she called out. "Give me just a second."

"No, here, let me help you," Hina insisted, helping pick up the bag.

"Thank you," Chiyoko replied. She then glanced behind Hina and asked in surprise, "Eiji's not with you?"

"He's not here?" Hina asked.

Chiyoko shook her head. "When I came in this morning, I found the garbage still in the kitchen and the floors unmopped. Usually he gets all of this done either at night or when he wakes up, so I thought maybe he might have stayed with you and Shingo overnight, to avoid walking home in the rain."

"It was clear all night," she insisted. "And my brother just texted me saying that Eiji's phone turned up at the police station."

"That's really strange," Chiyoko said, easing the garbage bag down. "It's not like Eiji to lose things, or not come home."

A sudden fear entered Hina's mind, and she asked, "You don't think something happened to him, do you?"

"That's what we're afraid of."

The male voice was familiar, and Hina turned immediately to see a stoic, long-haired man in blue standing nearby. Beside him was a shorter blonde in green, looking more visibly worried than his friend.

Confused, Chiyoko asked, "I'm sorry, can we help you?"

"It's okay, Chiyoko," Hina said. "They're my friends, Joe and Doc."

"Nice to meet you," Doc answered with an uneasy smile while Joe nodded.

With the introduction out of the way, Hina asked, "What happened? Where's Eiji?"

"It's not safe to explain here," Doc warned. "We'll tell you everything on the Galleon."

"First, do you have OOO's Great Power?" Joe asked.

"Great Power?" Chiyoko repeated. "You mean the Medals?"

"That's it," Doc said.

Chiyoko looked to Hina, who said, "Eiji didn't bring them with him last night, other than what he usually keeps, so they should still be in his room."

"I'll get them," Chiyoko volunteered.

"No," Joe insisted. "No one's going alone. Doc?"

He nodded and followed Chiyoko upstairs. Once they'd gone, Hina turned back to Joe and asked, "What's going on? What happened to Eiji?"

"It's..." he started.

"Don't tell me it's too dangerous," she argued. "If something happened, I have a right to know."

He sighed and nodded. "You're right. But at the same time, it's better if we can get somewhere safe, where everyone can explain. What I can tell you is that someone's after you, and we think they may have done something to Eiji to get to you."

Hina felt her stomach drop, and she stared back at Joe in horror. "To get to me? Why?"

"That's what we'll explain when we get to the Galleon," he promised.

"Joe!" Doc called as he and Chiyoko raced over, carrying the Medal case. "We got them."

"Good," he replied, pulling out his Mobirates. "Let's get going."

He dialed in the number, and the Gokai Galleon appeared in the sky overhead. Chiyoko stared open-mouthed at the flying pirate ship, then shook Hina's arm, as if trying to ask her if this was real.

"Joe?" Doc asked, gesturing toward Chiyoko. "What about..."

He sighed. "We'll have to take her with us. The Dekarangers are spread thin enough as it is."

Cables trailed down from the hull of the ship, and Joe reached out his hand to help support Hina as he grabbed hold. Doc did the same for Chiyoko—though not without a bit of struggling—and the cables retracted upwards, allowing them to board the Galleon. As soon as they made it inside, they found Marvelous in his chair, grimly watching the main screen, with the other Gokaigers surrounding him. His face was hard to read, but the others weren't quite as much—Luka's was full of obvious disdain, while Ahim was worried, and Gai looked close to freaking out completely.

From his perch, Navi saw them coming up the stairs and called out, "Marvelous! They're back!"

Marvelous glanced toward Joe, asking, "Any problems while you were down there?"

"None so far," he replied. "Looks like Svalwart's satisfied with just one captive so far."

"Captive?" Chiyoko repeated. "Are you talking about Eiji?"

Marvelous spared a glance at Chiyoko. His expression was hard to completely read, but he seemed almost amused, even though his tone was bored as he said, "Well, you're a direct one, aren't you?"

"Please," Hina interrupted, her fear almost too much to bear right now. "If something's happened to Eiji, please tell me."

Something like guilt passed over the six pirates' faces. Finally, Marvelous got up from his chair and said, "You better sit down."

Hina shook her head. "I'd rather stand, if it's all the same."

There was a very brief flash of discomfort on Joe's face—less brief for Doc's. Marvelous seemed to be unbothered, merely replying, "Suit yourself," and stepping to the side.

Ever the crew ambassador, Ahim came forward, nodding gently at Chiyoko and Hina before saying, "We received a message this morning from the Special Police Dekaranger, one of our allies. Apparently, there has been a broadcast airing throughout the galaxy."

The screen turned on again, and a video began playing. For a moment, Hina thought the silver-blue alien with the wide shoulders and almost can-shaped head was wearing armor, but as she watched, she realized it was his full body. A tattered black cape hung from his back, and he rested his right hand on a sword at his side.

_"La Infanta,"_ he addressed. _"I have returned from the edge of oblivion with only one goal—revenge on you, for our last encounter. Therefore, I challenge you to a duel, to settle the matter once and for all. Dishonor my request, and I will have to resort to desperate measures."_

The camera gradually zoomed out, and Hina gasped as she saw Eiji, tied up and unconscious as he slumped against the wall.

_"Your latest husband, I presume,"_ the alien continued. _"Regardless of the outcome of our duel, I can assure you that he shall remain safe. However, should you choose the coward's option, I will have no choice but to end his life, as it is clearly of no consequence to you. You have twelve hours to respond. I eagerly anticipate your reply. Your humble and obedient, Admiral Svalwart."_

The video ended, and in the few seconds of silence that followed, Hina could hear her heart pounding in her ears. She couldn't think.

"Earth doesn't get these broadcasts," Gai said, trying desperately to explain the delay. "The Dekarangers have the technology to pick up the signal, and as soon as they realized what it was, they contacted us."

Chiyoko managed to keep her wits and asked, "Who is this 'Infanta' he's talking about? Could Eiji have been mistaken for someone else?"

"Seems like it," Marvelous replied. "Captain Teuta Lai Yang, former pirate, now retired. She was infanta of Planet Arcadia."

"For lack of a better term, it's similar to being a princess," Ahim explained. "Her grandparents were King and Queen of Arcadia, though Infanta Teuta was outside the line of succession. Still, there were high expectations for her, and when she rejected her arranged marriage to an important noble of my planet, Famille, it caused a huge scandal. Reportedly, she tore off the skirt of her wedding dress to reveal a gun she had hidden in her garter, took one of the coachmen hostage, and carried him off to an awaiting ship, which her lover had helped her arrange ahead of time. It was only afterward that everyone realize that the coachman was her lover, and he later became her first husband."

Luka smirked. "Sounds like you followed her adventures closely."

Ahim's face flushed, and she gracefully answered, "Of course, such tales were unbecoming for another princess to learn of. After my planet's destruction, I looked to her exploits for inspiration, and that is when I decided to become a pirate."

"Uh-huh," Luka teased. "So anyway, what about the tin-head? Looks kinda like Damaras."

"They're from the same planet," Joe explained. "Svalwart was a decorated admiral in the Zangyack Space Navy. Impressed soldiers and sailors were taught to look up to him, just like Damaras, as examples of what people from annexed planets should contribute to the Empire."

"And he fought this Infanta?" Chiyoko guessed.

Joe nodded. "It was years ago, before the Legend War, when the Zangyack turned their sights on Earth. Apparently, Teuta kidnapped a cousin of the Emperor's and ransomed him in exchange for a full pardon for herself and her fleet. Svalwart must have tried to pay up, since as soon as he got the hostage back, he was stripped of his rank and both of them were exiled to a black hole."

Marvelous snorted. "Shows how far honor gets you in the Zangyack."

Hina turned a sharp look on him. "He kidnapped Eiji, who hasn't got anything to do with him. How is that honorable?"

"It's honor as far as the Zangyack are concerned," Joe explained, his tone as diplomatic as possible. "Anyone else would have killed him to goad Teuta into fighting. It's just how the Zangyack are. We know. We've all suffered under them."

Hina's gaze softened with sympathy as she looked at the rest of the Gokaigers, seeing very familiar scars of war in their eyes—ones just like Eiji's had. Finally, she asked, "So why Eiji? How could they possibly think he's caught up with this Teuta person?"

"Because the Infanta looks like this," Marvelous said, bringing up an archived photo of an old wanted poster.

The woman in the photo wore a long, royal blue coat with a high collar, with pearls and sapphires dangling from her indigo hair. Her expression was serious, her gloved hands resting over the hilt of a sword, as she stared off to the side. Hina felt her breath catch as she stared at her own reflection, so very different from herself, but similar enough for the mistake to have been made. Now, as she felt her legs shaking, she wished she had taken up Marvelous's offer to sit. As it was, Gai was scrambling to steady her, while Ahim nodded at him and walked toward the kitchen.

"Let's go to the table, that sound good?" Gai suggested, already starting to move Hina toward the dining area.

"Yeah," Doc agreed, following his lead. "I'll go see if Ahim needs help."

This time, Hina sat down, Chiyoko coming right beside her and Joe standing nearby. The shock was still settling in, and she could barely find her voice as she said, "That woman. She looked like..."

"I've brought some tea," Ahim interrupted, just in the nick of time. She wheeled over a cart and placed a small porcelain cup in front of Hina, then poured in some tea. "It's an Earth variety that I've become fond of. I believe it's called Earl Grey?"

In her state, Hina was worried she would break the cup; but to her surprise, she found Doc swapping it out for a larger, metallic mug.

"This might work a little better," he admitted, and Ahim nodded her thanks at him before pouring tea in that one as well.

Hina picked it up, her hands shaking, but even as she tightened her grip to try to control the tremors, the mug refused to bend or break. The tea was hot and fragrant, and she almost burned her throat swallowing the first gulp, but it was still comforting.

Around her, everyone else started taking seats, each with a delicate teacup in front of them. The image was absurd—six space pirates, a traveler and restaurant owner, and a fashion student all sitting around, having a tea party. But the seriousness of the situation, with Eiji held hostage, weighed heavily on the table.

"Sir Joe?" Ahim asked. Joe didn't even look up at her from his tea, but it seemed to be a bad habit that she was used to, since she continued asking, "Are you sure that Infanta Teuta's bounty photo is accurate?"

Now, Joe lowered his cup and looked over at Ahim, who was nibbling on a piece of shortbread. "It's about as accurate as ours are. The Zangyack grabbed whatever photos they could get from surveillance or public record."

"That's curious," she replied. "You see, in the tales we heard on Famille, the Infanta's hair was violet, to match with the coat of arms of her betrothed."

"Aka Red did business with her once," Marvelous admitted. "'Cept her hair was red."

Gai looked between them and asked, "You think she dyes it to match whoever she's dealing with?"

"Perhaps," Ahim confessed. "Although the event on Famille was seventy years ago. It's just as possible she grew tired of the color."

Hina looked over at Ahim, her eyes wide. But Chiyoko was first to voice the question, asking, "Seventy years? How would they expect her to look like Hina now?"

"It's not that unusual," Doc admitted. "Different races have different lifespans, and different aging to go along with it."

"So, am I supposed to fight the Admiral, to save Eiji?" Hina asked. "There's no way he'll be fooled. I can't fight."

"Relax," Marvelous said, and she whirled on him, glaring, but it was hard to stay mad at him when he was calmly setting down a fancy teacup. It wasn't fair to. "All we need is for you to accept the duel. If Svalwart's really been stuck in a black hole for this long, he's got no idea what happened to the Zangyack."

"I guess," she admitted.

"From there, Luka or Ahim will take your place," he explained. "Doesn't matter if it's a Gokaiger—he wouldn't know who has the Keys anyway. They stay hidden during the video, so it looks like it's just a crew of men, some of whom Teuta might have given Ranger Keys to."

She didn't want to trust him. But the plan made sense. And the Gokaigers would be strong enough to hold their own, whether to win Eiji's freedom or just long enough to buy time for the others to rescue him.

Still, she had to have something to protest, so she asked, "And what if that's not it? What's stopping him from going after the rest of my friends, or my brother?"

"The Dekarangers agreed to look after them," Joe promised. "Their commander, Kruger, is guarding your brother himself."

Luka laughed. "I'm sure that's going over well. Commander Doggy babysitting a worried older brother?"

Hina couldn't help but cringe. Though she had no idea who this commander was, she was sure he was getting an earful from Shingo—when worried, he could be almost as unbearable as Ankh.

The sudden thought of Ankh sent a new, guilty flood of worry through her, and she grabbed Chiyoko's wrist, gasping, "Eiji still has Ankh's Medal!"

"That's right," Chiyoko realized, looking equally guilty at not thinking of it before. "I completely forgot!"

"Another one of these coin thingies?" Luka asked, picking up the Medal case.

Chiyoko nodded. "It's broken, but it's important to him—to all of us."

Marvelous and Joe looked at each other, carrying out a silent conversation. Hina couldn't discern what they were thinking, but she got the feeling she'd just complicated matters with her revelation.

Finally, Joe nodded, and he reached over to the case and removed one of the blue Medals, followed by a green and a silver. He paused at the red ones, then asked Marvelous, "Does it matter what color it is?"

"I doubt he'll be looking that closely at it," he answered, taking a red Core at random.

"What are you doing?" Hina asked, suddenly protective of the Medals Eiji had left behind.

Marvelous turned toward her, red Condor Medal firmly in hand while Joe handed Doc and Gai the remaining Medals.

"Thought it was obvious," he said. "That coachman from Famille was only Teuta's first husband—she had plenty more where that came from, and a few wives too, all at the same time."

Hina felt herself blush, turning nearly as red as the Medal as he continued, "If we're gonna sell this thing and get OOO back, you're gonna have to play along with marrying a crew full of pirates."


	3. Parley

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Gokaigers prepare Hina to accept the duel while Eiji wakes up and tries to regain his strength. But the tension between Hina and Marvelous threatens to unravel the whole plan.

Eiji hadn't even opened his eyes yet, and a blinding pain was tearing through his head. There was a horrible, buzzing sensation inside his skull, and his brain felt like it was about to split apart from the stress. He reached up and held one hand against his head, breathing slowly to try to deal with the pain.

That was when he heard an unfamiliar voice:

"You've decided to awake, I see."

Eiji sat up quickly, then immediately regretted it as the world started to spin all around him. He had the vague impression of a frown from the alien creature...somewhere in front of him...before he got enough of his bearings to find the wall behind him and lean up against it.

"Who...are you?" he asked.

"Admiral Svalwart of the great Zangyack Empire," the alien explained. "You are aboard His Majesty's Prison Ship _Nasake_."

"Prison ship?" Eiji repeated. "Zangyack?"

That was right. He'd been attacked last night by someone claiming to be from the Zangyack. But try as he might, he couldn't seem to remember anything specific about it. His head refused to clear.

"La Infanta still hasn't responded to my message," Svalwart replied. "It's been ten hours. If you're a praying man, you'd best start praying now that you're as precious to her as you think."

"Infanta?" Eiji asked.

"I'll return before the next two hours are up," Svalwart promised. "Either she accepts my challenge and your freedom is assured, or you'll need not be worrying about that head of yours for long."

It was a death threat. Eiji could make enough sense of that, but there was no sense in getting himself worked up about it. After all, he got enough of them as it was. Still, there was a thread of anxiety in his mind, tied to something that he couldn't seem to recall—not yet, anyway. Just what was it? Why did he feel so drained?

Svalwart watched the boy with a suspicious eye as he left. "Minor injuries" his boot. Waguibion had knocked the lad senseless. Nobility or not, Svalwart was still in command of this vessel, and his word was law.

He rapped on the door of the quarters Waguibion had claimed as his own. Owing to its purpose as a prison, the _Nasake_ was largely lacking in luxuries, so upon their gaining control of it and steering it out of the black hole, both Admiral and Count took what little they could. Waguibion claimed the captain's quarters, owing to his noble bloodline. That was fine by Svalwart, who preferred the stateroom closest to the bridge. But the Count was testing his patience, and Svalwart had little for his overreach.

The door opened, revealing Waguibion in better spirits than he'd been since their exile—likely due to escaping the black hole and making it to some planet, however backwater.

"My dear Admiral," he stated. "Have you heard word of La Infanta?"

"No," Svalwart replied. "But I have seen the prisoner."

"Really?" the Count asked, his tone only mildly interested. "Has he shared anything interesting?"

"He has not," the Admiral said, his own voice sharp. "But I have observed his condition. I believe I told you not to inflict any unnecessary injuries."

"And I did not," the Count insisted.

"Then explain, my Lord, how it is that the boy can barely lift his head and cannot focus on my face or any line of conversation past two words?"

Waguibion put a hand to his side, where he'd been kicked. "Admiral, the boy struck me! I am but a simple nobleman—I am unused to such vulgar treatment, as is any other member of our bloodline! And I have no training in combat, so I neither could defend myself more effectively, nor show more restraint. Had it been my dear cousin the Emperor, he would not have shown nearly as much mercy!"

"Nonetheless," Svalwart warned, "I shall not stand for another such incident. The Zangyack are not known to show mercy to our enemies, correct. But when it comes to such vital prisoners, I, for one, intend to keep them as unharmed as possible."

"And so you should," Waguibion agreed. "My dear Admiral, let me make it up to the boy. After all, he's clearly poisoned by La Infanta's doctrine. Allow me to show him that the Zangyack are just and righteous, the only true rulers of this galaxy."

Svalwart considered his request for a moment. Waguibion seemed genuine, yes, but it was more likely he was just simpering to improve his standing with the Admiral. After all, he had claimed illness throughout their entire escape and hardly lifted a finger, which had not helped Svalwart's opinion of him. The fact that he'd volunteered to go planetside to retrieve the prisoner was nothing short of a miracle.

"Perhaps, if La Infanta agrees to our terms," Svalwart said. "Otherwise, your generosity would be wasted."

"Indeed," Waguibion replied. "But in the meantime, I have one other suggestion, one that I hope repairs this rift between us."

Svalwart stared at him, unsure how far to entertain this. Still, he replied, "Go on?"

"Before we depart this planet, I believe it may be wise to procure a crew," he suggested, "particularly if La Infanta does agree to the duel. While I have no doubt in your ability to defeat her, might I remind you that her crew is rather...crude, and intoxicated in their passions for her. I fear that should it go well for us, her paramours may go on the attack!"

That was not unreasonable. La Infanta, of course, had taken the Count as a hostage and demanded a pardon for herself and her crew as ransom. It was a heavy price, but Svalwart would not risk the life and safety of a member of any branch of the Zangyack royal family. He could not discount La Infanta trying another underhanded scheme.

"Very well," he agreed. "Should you find any Earthlings who agree to join and seem worthy to take up arms in the defense of the Empire, then by all means, recruit them."

"Thank you, Admiral," Waguibion answered. "I promise I shall not fail..."

"But make no mistake," Svalwart warned, "I am the captain of this vessel, regardless of how we came to be on it. Blood rank matters not here. When I say do not cause harm to any Earthling aboard this ship, my order is as sacred as that of our Emperor's. Do I make myself clear?"

"As crystal, Admiral," Waguibion replied.

He inclined his head—not quite a bow, after all, since he was of higher status—then turned and headed for transport. It was just a minor humiliation he would have to suffer for now, of course. In time, he would claim his rightful place and do away with the Admiral. But for now, he still needed Svalwart, and this gave him a chance to gather blood and strength. In due time, he would make his move.

~~~

Hina sat in Ahim's cabin, a towel wrapped around her shoulders as she leaned her head back into the sink.

"Are you sure I really need this?" she asked apprehensively.

"It will help with a more convincing act," Ahim insisted, pouring a bottle of gelatinous fluid into Hina's hair. "After all, we have conflicting reports of Infanta Teuta's true hair color. This treatment will change to any color on its own."

She handed the empty bottle to Chiyoko, who looked at it curiously. "So this is an alien hair dye? Hmm, I wonder if I could get it for the restaurant. It would make some of our costumes more exciting, don't you think?"

"I guess?" Hina answered.

"It's very easy to take care of," Ahim said. "As long as you don't apply too much heat or use harsh shampoos. Otherwise, you'll kill the insects creating the color."

"Insects?" Chiyoko repeated, as Hina started to squirm.

"You're putting _what_ in my hair?" she gasped.

"Shh," Ahim whispered, massaging the gel into her hair.

"You won't see or feel them," Joe answered, leaning back against a chair, his arms crossed, appearing as bored as could be. "They're microscopic."

It was hardly any relief to Hina, who felt the nutrient matrix get gooier and stickier as Ahim applied it, the...bugs...sucking it all in as they adhered to her hair. She tried not to shudder as Ahim sat her up and Chiyoko wrapped the towel around her hair.

"All right, so that's your hair done and drying," Chiyoko said. "Clothes are taken care of—what's next?"

Joe got to his feet, a sarcastic half-smile on his lips. "The fun part."

Hina felt a sense of dread worse than the one that came on with the dye. "Fun?"

Joe nodded, leading them across the deck to Luka's cabin. He didn't even bother to knock, just opened the door to find a sword in his face and Luka scowling.

"No."

Chiyoko and Hina looked at each other in shock, but Joe only batted the sword out of his way, insisting, "Marvelous said."

"Yeah, well, Marvelous still hasn't paid me back for the ring he sold when we first came to Earth," she argued.

"Miss Luka," Ahim reasoned, "we all have our parts to play in this."

Luka set the sword down, but crossed her arms, glaring. Joe met her stare evenly. Nearly a minute went by, and Hina was just about to interrupt and ask if there was something else they could try, when Luka groaned and yanked a key off a chain around her neck.

"Fine," she said. "But take the small chest. That's stuff I don't wear anymore."

"That was the plan anyway," he answered, taking the key and walking past her.

She stepped aside, sulking, and Hina and Chiyoko hesitantly followed Joe while Ahim put a comforting hand on her crewmate's shoulder. Joe approached a chest, slightly bigger than the one used for the Ranger Keys, and inserted the key.

"All right," he said. "It's yours now, so take a look."

He opened the lid and revealed a collection of glittering jewels and metals, so bright that it almost seemed like they themselves gave off light. Hina stared awestruck for a moment, and Chiyoko tugged on her arm to pull her closer.

"This is amazing," she said, looking toward Luka. "All of these are yours?"

Luka still had a pout on her face, even with Ahim holding on to her. "Well, not anymore."

"You would have given them away or sold them eventually," Ahim reminded her.

"Yeah, but when does Marvelous give up his own stuff?" Luka complained. "It's always me!"

"Never mind her," Ahim insisted. "Take whatever you might need."

Hina just stared at the jewelry. Even just one piece or two would pay her college tuition for a whole year, and then some. Joe was trying to remain patient, but finally, he sighed, "We need to start that transmission. Time's running out."

That snapped Hina out of it, although she still felt overwhelmed and indecisive. She looked at Chiyoko, who picked out a selection of pink and pale purple gemstones that paired well with the black off-the-shoulder blouse and dusky pink skirt that Ahim had lent her. Hina slipped the bracelets onto her wrists and started fitting earrings into her ears while Chiyoko fastened a necklace from behind her.

"How lovely," Ahim commented. "Now you truly look the part."

"Almost," Luka said, walking over to Hina and taking the towel off her head. Her hair was mostly dry, but it was limp and in bad need of brushing. Luka smirked and said, "No queen—pirate or not—would ever put up with that."

"You guys done already?" Marvelous asked, stepping in.

"Almost," Ahim replied. "We just need to finish styling her hair, and..."

"No time," Marvelous said. "The transmission's already starting up. Just run a brush through her hair and tie it back, then head upstairs."

He turned and left, with Joe sighing, "Marvelous..." and chasing after him.

The stony look on Hina's face matched perfectly with the irritated look on Luka's as she muttered, "What's with him?"

"Never mind that," Ahim insisted, searching for a brush as Hina's hair started lightening to coordinate with the gems. "Would you please find me a hair tie?"

While the girls finished with Hina's hair, Joe chased after Marvelous and spun him around.

"What's going on?" he demanded. "You'd think Basco was back, the way you're acting."

There was a hint of a cold glare in Marvelous's eyes, even though he knew exactly what Joe meant. This behavior in this particular situation was not like him. This was supposed to be a relatively easy deceit.

"I've been thinking," he answered instead. "You should take the lead on this one. Pick who should sub for her in the duel, stick close to her, make sure she's safe when we pull off the rescue."

Joe raised an eyebrow. "Because I know her better? Or because she doesn't hate me?"

Marvelous allowed a very, _very_ slight flinch. Joe was as sharp as ever—in mind, in blade, and especially in tongue.

"Well, when you send a fleet of assassins after someone, they're bound to hold a grudge."

"You really think that's it?" Joe challenged. "After all, I kept trying to fight Kaitou Daiki to the death right in front of her, and somehow she still trusts me."

"What are you saying?" Marvelous argued.

"I'm saying things will go a lot faster if you just try to work with her," he said. "Sure, she'll challenge you, but her friend's life is on the line. Getting him back safe is her number one priority, and as soon as she sees you're on the same page, she'll work with you, just like she did me."

Marvelous stared at him for a moment. It was a good point—he didn't need Hina to trust him, just cooperate with him. As soon as Eiji was aboard the Galleon and they'd taken out Svalwart, they could part ways and never have to worry about the seas bringing them together again.

"Marvelous!" Gai screamed, running in for an unusually well-timed interruption. "The Doc's hailing the _Nasake_ now."

"All right," Marvelous replied. "Get the girls. Let's make this showy."

Aboard the _Nasake_ , Eiji was regaining his strength, if not his memory. He was just beginning to stand when his cell door opened suddenly, and Svalwart walked in. Immediately, he got into a defensive stance, but the Admiral whipped a series of chains around him, bringing him to his knees.

All of a sudden, Eiji felt a horrifying sense of déjà vu. This had happened before, in whatever he couldn't remember.

"You're lucky, lad," the Admiral said. "Your lady's responding just in time."

He marched Eiji to the bridge, where a screen flashed with the words "Incoming Transmission." As soon as he accepted the hail, the screen changed, revealing another ship, with four of the Gokaigers standing around a young woman with light pink hair.

"Hina?" Eiji asked, surprised, but Svalwart pointed his sword right at his face.

"Silence," he ordered before looking back at the screen. "La Infanta, are you prepared to accept my challenge?"

Hina tried not to gasp when the sword came at Eiji's face—after all, he hadn't been harmed yet, and he'd faced far worse in the past—but she desperately wished she had Chiyoko there to help keep her courage up and her head clear. But it had been decided that the women would remain out of sight, to avoid drawing any suspicions when the substitution occurred.

Marvelous, of all people, picked up on her rising fear and quickly said, "First, we need to be sure that's him. There should be a coin with him. Like this one."

He held up the red Core Medal, cueing Joe, Doc, and Gai to hold up the rest. Svalwart turned toward Eiji, who suddenly felt the strange sense of a memory coming back into place. Of course he had his Medals. Why hadn't he thought to try to escape with them?

The chains loosened, allowing him to reach into his pocket and take out the only safe Medal to show—Ankh's broken Core.

Svalwart looked at him suspiciously, asking, "It's broken?"

"You'd better be ready to pay for that," Joe insisted.

Following his lead, Doc gathered all the bravado he had and added, "Yeah. The Infanta doesn't give these to just anyone!"

"What's the significance, pray tell?" Svalwart asked.

His eyes were directly on Hina. She couldn't let the Gokaigers continue to answer for her. Doing her best to keep her cool, she replied, "They're a love token."

Eiji felt his face start flushing. At the same time, Marvelous narrowed his eyes just slightly—had he been caught just as off-guard? What were they planning?

"Rest assured," Svalwart insisted, his attention solely on Hina and the Gokaigers, "the damage to his coin will be the only harm he'll come to—if you agree to a duel."

"Which weapon?" Hina asked.

Svalwart patted his hilt. "By blade, of course."

Joe gave a quick glance toward Marvelous. It would be Luka pulling off the switch, then. But Marvelous looked oddly preoccupied—by his standards, of course. Anyone else would think he was just acting the serious pirate, but his crew knew better. Joe changed his glance over to Hina instead, signaling her to accept.

"Agreed," she said.

"Aye," Svalwart replied. "Then as I have chosen the weapons, it is your ladyship's decision on the site and date."

Hina only had a second to panic, unsure where to pick without a knowledge of any other planet, but Marvelous stepped forward and said, "Planet Harlock, two weeks from now."

"Two weeks?" Svalwart asked. "Your red beau asks quite a bit of time, Infanta. Mayhap he's hoping you tire of this lad during the separation?"

"One week," Hina insisted. "No less time. Planet Harlock."

"Planet Harlock it is, then," Svalwart agreed. "Rest assured, the lad will be safe in my care—I promise on my honor as a Zangyack warrior."

Joe nudged Hina as subtly as he possibly could, reassuring her that as far as Zangyack honor went, this could be counted on.

"All right," she answered finally. "I will see you then."

"Until then," Svalwart promised.

The transmission ended, and Marvelous immediately slammed his hands on the console. Hina watched in shock before Chiyoko ran up onto the deck and hugged her.

"You did great, Hina!" she said. "Now, all we have to do is switch you out, and then we can bring Eiji home safe!"

"There's not going to be a switch," Marvelous said.

They all looked at him in shock. Finally, Gai laughed nervously and said, "What are you talking about? Luka's great with the sword. We won't even need the week!"

Knowing it was a lot more than that, Joe stepped forward, asking, "Marvelous?"

"Plan's changed," he announced. "Start training her right away. She needs to know the ins and outs of swordfighting in a week."

"Why?" Hina asked. "I thought..."

"Don't argue!" he shouted back.

She felt a flash of white-hot anger and was ready to argue back. But Joe took her by the shoulders and urged, "Come on," turning her away and leading her below deck, past a very confused Luka and Ahim.

"Marvelous, what the hell?" Luka asked. "You know she doesn't stand a chance."

He ignored her, bringing up a recording of Svalwart's transmission and rewinding it back to the point where Eiji started blushing.

Navi flew up to perch on the console and asked, "Marvelous, what's wrong?"

But again, Marvelous didn't—wouldn't—answer, leaving the rest of his crew to walk away and join Joe in his seemingly impossible task.


	4. Code Duello

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joe tries to help Hina prepare for the duel while Eiji confronts the Zangyack Count. Meanwhile, Marvelous struggles to deal with the full extent of what's at stake.

Joe led Hina to a large, open room with the Gokaigers' weaponry hanging on the walls. She looked around apprehensively as the others started coming in behind them.

"You're not going to train her on live weapons first, are you?" Doc asked.

"Why not?" Luka asked. "That's how we all started."

Joe just walked to a large chest at the other end of the room and produced a key from around his neck. He used it to open the chest, revealing several swords of different lengths and weights. He considered them for a moment, then selected a short, wide blade.

"Something light isn't going to work for you, right?" he guessed. Hina shook her head. "Then try this."

She picked it up, unsure exactly what she should be looking for. She could tell there was weight to it, but to her, almost anything was light. Just what would be normal for her? Still, she nodded, and Joe selected a similar sword.

"The Zangyack usually use slender blades, but you need to get a feel for this first," he said. "Start by blocking my attacks."

"O-okay," she replied hesitantly.

Almost as soon as she said that, he attacked. She shrieked and raised her sword to block it, but too hard, sending Joe flying back, eventually falling.

"Oh no, I'm sorry!" she cried. "Are you okay?"

Joe sat up, holding up his sword. The steel had outright cracked.

"How did..." Luka started.

"Well, that's not going to work," he interrupted, his voice deadpan as he tossed the sword aside.

"I'm sorry," Hina apologized again. "I put too much force behind it. I was just surprised, and..."

"There's no need to apologize," he insisted as he searched through his sword collection again. "That strength's going to help you. But you need to learn how to use a sword, or else it's not going to do any good."

The other Gokaigers looked at each other skeptically for a moment while Chiyoko went over to comfort Hina. Finally, Ahim asked, "Sir Joe? Does the Zangyack dueling code allow for a second to be appointed by each of the duelers? If so, Miss Hina could appoint you to take her place..."

"That kind of request has to be put in writing," he admitted. "It's usually the Zangyack nobility who do this. They're exactly the kind who'd either spring a trap by bringing a second without the other side agreeing to them, or show up without one and claim that they hadn't been told, so it must be a trap."

Ahim nodded reluctantly. "That would make sense. It's very much within their character."

Joe picked up another sword, this one longer and thinner, but he considered its weight and strength for a while. Watching, Gai suggested, "What about trying one of the Sentai weapons? I mean, we don't have to use the Gokai Sabers, but there's Shinkenger, or Timeranger, or Gingaman. Or even just certain specialized weapons, like Go-On Red's Road Saber or Gosei Red's Skick Sword. They'd hold up, right?"

"We'll figure that out after," Joe decided, giving the sword an experimental swing. "Ready?"

Chiyoko squeezed Hina's shoulder before scurrying back over to the others. Hina held her sword in a defensive position, now definitely sure she was ready for his attack.

"Ready," she said.

"Control your strength," he warned before charging. She met his sword with a block that sent a painful jolt through his wrists, and for the first time in his life, he had to struggle to regain control of his sword.

Hina cringed. "I'm sorry!"

"Don't be," he said. "Again."

Ahim gracefully lowered herself onto the floor, spreading her skirt out as she gestured for the others to join her. Chiyoko sat down next, but Luka leaned over to Doc and Gai, whispering, "Anyone want to take bets when the next sword breaks?"

Almost immediately after she said that, Joe's sword snapped in half, the blade whizzing past a startled Gai before landing in the wall behind them.

"Uh, all the same, I think I'll pass," he said, quickly heading toward the door.

"Yeah, we should probably start making dinner, right?" Doc agreed, running right behind him.

Nonplussed, Luka shrugged and said, "Suit yourself," before sitting next to Ahim and trying to entice her and Chiyoko into the same bet.

~~~

Eiji had been returned to his....room? cell?...after the duel had been agreed to. He knew he had to get out. He couldn't let Hina put her life at risk for him, even if the Gokaigers were helping. He could escape easily, fight his way out. He had the Medals...

His mind started to go blank all of a sudden, and he couldn't think of just what the Medals _did_. Only that he had them, that he needed them, and that Ankh was in the broken one. And when he tried to reach for them, his muscles started to seize up, making it hard for him to move.

Frustrated, he brought his forehead to rest against the wall, ignoring the dust and mold in the wood as he sighed, "What's going _on_? What happened to me?"

The door opened again, and he tensed, looking warily at the light streaming in. The silhouette seemed oddly familiar, and when Eiji squinted, he could see rainbow-colored lights shining from it.

In a sudden flash, he could recall cables wrapping around him, leading back to someone whose face and hands were covered in the same glowing lines. Then came a series of disjointed images, words, and emotions, failing to form a cohesive whole: silver teeth, fear, neck, pain.

"I see you remember me," Waguibion said as he closed the door and walked up to Eiji. Eiji immediately stepped back, his body shaking. "My, that certainly is unusual. Normally, I have such a magnetic effect on my prey."

Prey. Teeth. Drain. Eiji drew a hand up to his neck, clearly recalling what had happened but unable to say it.

"You..." he tried, failing again to parse the words together.

"I what?" Waguibion asked, amused.

"You..." he tried again to the same effect. "Why can't I say it?"

"Because of a sub-programming routine in your mind," Waguibion explained. "Think of it as a hypnotic block. I can remove it for right now..."

He made eye contact with Eiji suddenly, and Eiji felt his mind clear, as he blurted out, " _You_ _bit me!_ "

"I did," Waguibion admitted. "But having you going around saying that would prove risky to myself, particularly if my dear Admiral were to hear. So, back in place it goes."

Eiji felt a prickling sensation in his head as Waguibion re-instated the block. It was disorienting, and he took a few deep breaths before he asked, "Is that why I can't figure out how to escape?"

"Of course," he said. "You're a rather interesting specimen. I would hate for us to lose you before the Infanta tries to win your freedom."

There was that whole "Infanta" thing again. Eiji wasn't sure what Hina and the others were planning, but if keeping her safe meant he had to play along, then he would.

"What are you?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

Waguibion laughed. "I'm sure you'll figure it out soon enough."

He reached out, and Eiji stepped back again, realizing too late that he'd literally backed himself into a corner. He felt his own hand reaching out, and he fought desperately to stop it, trying to beat whatever hypnosis had him under the Count's control, but to no avail. A hard, metal object suddenly entered his palm—a key. Eiji looked at it in surprise, then at Waguibion.

"A copy," he explained. "One of my servants graciously procured the Admiral's key and managed to commission this for me. Meetings like this are rather suspicious, wouldn't you say?"

Eiji felt himself nod, even though he didn't want to. His fingers closed around the key, and then he slowly put it into his pocket.

"Naturally, to prevent you from escaping or telling my dear Admiral what I've done, you will not remember anything about it," Waguibion continued. "Until, of course, I summon you. This way, I can have access to you whenever I want."

That fuzzy, prickly feeling was going through Eiji's brain again. His memories were being suppressed. He squeezed his eyes tight and grimaced, trying to fight it.

"Why are you doing this to me?" he asked.

"Why, indeed," Waguibion agreed. "You're not particularly special, as far as blood goes. I've had far better. But a stubborn mind and young, strong body...that could prove useful to me."

"What does any of that mean?" Eiji demanded, his sense of dread deepening.

"Oops," Waguibion said facetiously. "Perhaps it's best you forget that as well. This entire meeting, then. That may require direct input."

He reached his fingers toward Eiji's neck. The bite opened up suddenly, and Eiji quickly moved his hand to clamp down on it, feeling two round ports, similar to a headphone socket. He started hyperventilating, and his fingers started curling away from the ports.

"Stop," he gasped, tears running down his face.

"Truly fascinating," Waguibion insisted. "In all the centuries I've been alive, I've never once had to do this, and you're resisting all the way through it. But you won't remember anything in a bit."

Two wires shot out of Waguibion's fingers and entered the ports. Eiji felt a sudden shock and arched his body up in pain, feeling everything seize up. Streams of letters, numbers, and other symbols entered his vision, faster than he could make sense of them. Some part of him realized it was computer code, and that it wasn't anything he was seeing, but experiencing—the code was being programmed into his brain, and it didn't matter if he kept his eyes open or not, he would still be aware of it.

The words "SYSTEM REBOOT" entered his visual cortex, and it was the last thing he was aware of. All conscious thought and voluntary processes stopped. His body dropped to the floor, his eyes still open but sightless, with multicolored lights streaking through his irises before going dark.

~~~

Marvelous had been what amounted to a teenager in Earth reckoning when Aka Red recruited him to join his small band of pirates and search for the Greatest Treasure in the Universe.

To tell the truth, it was a bit of a stretch to call them a "band" of pirates, when it was just them and Basco. But they made a name for themselves, earning a decent bounty on their heads. Every once in a while, they got a commission from someone who had a Ranger Key they were willing to part with, or at least had clues to where one could be found. So when the redheaded woman came aboard the Galleon, looking for their help, it wasn't a total surprise. The fact that Aka Red told Marvelous and Basco to wait in the kitchen and while he and the lady talked business was.

"Hey, Marvey, those potatoes aren't going to peel themselves!" Basco called out as he started adding his batch of potatoes into a pot of water.

"Pipe down, Basco, I'm trying to hear!" Marvelous hissed as he peered out the door. They were still talking. He could pick out just a handful of words: Wisborg, Zangyack, mass driver. Judging by her body language, the lady was furious. Aka Red, for his part, looked weary—something that actually gave Marvelous pause, since his captain had never looked that way, no matter how many times they tangled with the Zangyack.

"Oh?" Basco asked. "Are you sulking because Aka Red told us to keep out?"

Even back then, there were times that Marvelous hated how perceptive his former crewmate was. So he just scowled and insisted, "No, but if there's a chance we can find the Greatest Treasure in the Universe..."

He quickly learned, though, that he was too loud. Both Aka Red and the lady turned to look at him, and before he could back up into the kitchen all the way, Aka Red came up.

"Marvelous, Basco, get ready," he warned. "We're setting a course for Wisborg."

"They've already destroyed Wisborg," the lady insisted. "There'd be no point."

"Captain Teuta, you should know better," Aka Red chided. "The Zangyack can't be allowed to have those mass drivers. We must put them out of commission. Marvelous!"

"Yes!" Marvelous answered, embarrassed at being caught off-guard.

"Man the guns," Aka Red ordered. "Don't let a single one of those ships escape."

"Right," he agreed.

As Aka Red left, Marvelous watched the lady—the infamous Captain Teuta Lai Yang, La Infanta—as she clenched her fist and stared once more at the main screen. An image of innocent civilians, their faces lit up with rainbow-colored lines as they stood perfectly still, stared back at her. All around them were laser blasts and explosions, but not one of them responded, and he couldn't help but wonder what the hell had happened to Wisborg that both the pirate queen and Aka Red were taking so seriously.

"Marvelous!"

Doc's voice snapped him out of the memory, and for once, Marvelous was grateful for the interruption. He didn't like dwelling on those days, before Basco betrayed them.

The smell of meat and spices hit him, and he felt his mood instantly lifting as he asked, "Dinner?"

"Yeah," Gai agreed. "Chiyoko helped us out in the kitchen."

"Oh, it's nothing fancy," she insisted. "Just some chicken satay. You didn't have peanuts or peanut butter, but Doc had some nuts and beans that made a good substitute."

Marvelous turned to see Luka and Ahim already sitting down while Chiyoko, Doc, and Gai set the food on the table. He took his own spot and reached across to snatch a skewer of chicken coated with sauce, then took a big bite.

"Not bad," he admitted, looking over at Chiyoko. "You might have a future here."

"She's pretty good," Luka agreed. "Doc might want to look out. If you take over too many of his talents, we might have to replace him."

Doc glared at her from over her shoulder. Luka ignored it and grabbed another skewer, while Marvelous noticed the empty seats at the table.

"Joe and Hina still practicing?" he guessed.

Doc nodded. "He said they'd take a break in a while, and at least this is something they can eat down there without having to clean up too much."

"Plus, Chiyoko said this is one of Hina's favorites," Gai cut in. "So maybe she'll feel some kind of comfort, what with all the pressure on her."

Marvelous frowned. Even more than memories involving Basco, he didn't like being reminded how much he was relying on Hina. Picking up on his discontent, Chiyoko said, "So, while we were cooking, Doc and Gai told me a little about what you've gone through. You were fighting the empire that attacked your planets? You must all come from such interesting places."

"I'm afraid not all of it is terribly exciting," Ahim apologized. "After all, Sir Gai is from your very planet."

"Not exciting?" Luka teased. "That's something, coming from Princess Ahim of Famille." She snickered as Ahim faintly blushed, then added, "In other boring stories, I grew up as a thief after the Zangyack carpet-bombed my planet."

"You also raised a number of orphaned children," Ahim pointed out. "Your sister would have been proud."

"Yeah, well..." Luka said, shifting slightly. "You avenged your parents' deaths. Not bad for a frilly princess. Would have been interesting seeing you back then, before you got all tough. 'Course if I stepped foot on your planet with all its rules about appearance, I'd be burned at the stake as a cross-dressing lesbian witch."

"Nonsense," Ahim teased. "You only use magic with Magiranger. The punishment would be reduced to hanging."

Marvelous let out a laugh—something he hadn't realized he needed this badly. Smiling warmly, Chiyoko asked, "What about you? As a pirate captain, you must have some impressive stories about your past."

The others' laughter died down, but Marvelous simply answered, "'Fraid not. Don't remember much of my home planet, other than it was destroyed. I'd started running away from home before that, though. Stowed away on ships till I got caught, so I got well-acquainted with several branches of the Space Police. Ended up dabbling in piracy when I got older, then I got recruited by Aka Red to join his crew. Now, I'm here."

"I'd hardly say that's not impressive," Chiyoko insisted. "And what about Joe?"

If it had been uncomfortable when Marvelous's past came up, it was even more so now. Ahim gracefully replied, "That might best be a story he shares himself," and Gai nodded emphatically with a cringe on his face.

Chiyoko nodded hesitantly, then admitted, "I wonder how they're doing. It's been a while since anyone checked on them."

"I'll take care of that," Marvelous said, setting down his napkin and walking off.

"Marvelous," Doc sighed as he got up and chased after him. "Marvelous!"

"Getting real tired hearing people yelling my name," he answered as he kept walking. "If you've got something to say, make it fast."

"I know you're impatient with Hina," Doc said. "But listen..."

"Too long," Marvelous warned.

"It's not just Eiji's life at stake!"

That succeeded in getting Marvelous to stop and turn, suspiciously asking, "What do you mean?"

"It wasn't just me and Gai talking about our backgrounds," Doc explained. "Chiyoko told us stuff too. About how Eiji fought and Hina kept his secrets. The Ankh they mentioned—he was their friend. He's still inside that broken Medal."

Confused, Marvelous produced his Ranger Key. "I thought those things were like this—just for transformation."

"They're the life force of a race of creatures called the Greeed," Doc said. "Ankh was the last one of them to survive, and he broke his Medal saving Eiji. They all think Eiji can revive him."

"How?" Marvelous asked.

"I don't know," Doc admitted. "Neither do they. But think about it—if you had something that might give you a chance to bring back Aka Red, wouldn't you be terrified you might lose it?"

Marvelous started walking up to him, raising his fist. Doc flinched, fully expecting to be punched, but Marvelous held his fist, answering, "I get it. Don't take too many risks. That's what you want to say, isn't it?"

Doc nodded, breathing a sigh of relief. Marvelous took that opportunity to punch him in the shoulder, though less hard than he'd expected. Doc still cringed and rubbed his arm.

"Don't worry," Marvelous insisted. "I know it looks like I'm throwing her to the sharks, but I'm not. We're going to rescue Eiji, but I'm going to need all hands on deck, and she's just got to learn enough to hold off Svalwart until we're done."

Doc's nod was much more reluctant this time, but he admitted, "Okay."

They continued walking to the training room, and Marvelous was about to step inside when Doc grabbed his arm to stop him, remembering his own scare with the broken blade earlier in the day. Ahead, Hina and Joe were still sparring, but had switched tactics. Now, Hina was the one attacking, while Joe blocked with a shield.

"Good," he said as she struck with a wide-bladed sword. "Again."

Hina swung again, grunting from exhaustion. Navi hovered nearby, watching and cheering her on.

"Keep going!" he cried.

"Hey, bird," Marvelous called out, half-annoyed. "You're a cheerleader now?"

His voice startled both Navi and Hina. Navi asked, "Marvelous?" and turned around while Hina lost control of her next attack, hitting too hard and snapping her blade in half. It went flying again and hit Navi in the head.

"Oh no!" she cried, running over to pick up the robotic parrot. "I'm sorry! Navi, are you okay?"

"He's been hit worse," Joe assured her.

All of a sudden, Navi's eyes turned red, and an unfamiliar, deep voice came from him as he predicted, "Bizarre, vulgar phantoms jealously guard wisdom on a twisted path. Seek it, if you dare!"

Hina dropped him in shock, and Navi hit his head again, causing his eyes to turn back to their normal yellow.

"Bird, what was that prophecy?" Marvelous asked, shaken.

"What?" Navi asked, his voice also back to normal. "What prophecy? Did I say something?"

"What does that mean?" Doc asked. "The path is twisted?"

Joe looked at Marvelous, both of them in disbelief. Finally, Marvelous said, "Break for now. We need to talk to Gai."

Joe nodded and turned to Hina. "Eat, then practice your sets. I'll be back."

"Wait!" she called out. "I'll go with you!"

"No," Marvelous insisted. "Right now, the most important thing for you to do is practice. And keep up your strength."

He turned and left, Joe shaking his head as he followed. Doc looked one last time at Hina and promised, "As soon as we know something, we'll tell you, okay?"

She lowered her head and nodded as he ran off too. But she was tightly clenching her fist, trembling enough that Navi asked, "Hina? Are you okay?" But she wouldn't answer. She wasn't okay, and wouldn't be until Eiji was safe.

~~~

"Asleep again?"

The Admiral's voice entered Eiji's awareness, and he blinked, suddenly, confused to find himself lying on the floor. He sat up, feeling disoriented. There was that strange, clouded feeling in his head again, and his neck felt stiff.

"What?" he mumbled, shaking his head to clear it. "I wasn't sleeping."

No, he couldn't have been. He didn't sleep with his eyes open, after all. But still, time had definitely passed, and he'd ended up on the floor again. Had he passed out and forgotten?

The Admiral snorted in disbelief. "Supper time. And since you're our charge for the time being, the Count has cordially invited you to dine with us."

Something about that sounded oddly familiar, and Eiji asked, "Count?"

Svalwart whipped a chain his way again. Eiji squeezed his eyes tight, but he only felt them land on his ankles, shackles securely locking in place. When he opened his eyes, he could see a chain between his feet, only long enough for him to walk in short strides.

"I trust I can expect you not to do anything foolish like attack?" Svalwart asked. "Else you'll have to figure out how to eat with bound hands."

Eiji felt a flash of anger and couldn't help but sarcastically reply, "I don't know. I'm creative."

To his surprise, however, the Admiral laughed and answered, "Good. Your brain isn't that damaged after all. You can thank his lordship for that, then."

He turned toward the open door, and Eiji cautiously got up and followed, trying not to trip over the chain. All around the ship, humans in black sailor suits with matching caps were performing various tasks.

"They weren't here before," Eiji pointed out.

"The Count saw fit to procure them from your planet before we set sail," Svalwart explained. "Don't know how he managed to gather them so soon. Even among the loyalest Zangyack, there be a hard time conscripting."

Something felt off about the conscripts too. Their eyes didn't quite seem to focus, and they looked oddly dazed. Eiji felt uncomfortable looking at them, and without thinking about it, he started to bring his hand up to the side of his neck.

"Here."

They came to a stop at a modest mess hall. Despite the humble setting, the table was set with fine china and gleaming silver. But at the end of the table was an alien with metallic skin in a long white coat bound with black cables, a large turban on his head. He stood up and put a hand to his chest, bowing gracefully at Eiji.

"We meet again, I see. Count Waguibion, at your service."

Eiji's heart raced as a series of disconnected words flashed through his head: moon, circuit, teeth, neck, _danger_.

"Would you please join us for dinner?" Waguibion requested.

And though he wanted nothing more than to bolt out of the room, Eiji couldn't help but walk closer and take his seat between the Admiral and the Count.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates unfortunately are sporadic, thanks to a number of factors. I'm what's considered an essential worker, so I haven't had time to write, along with some keyboard troubles and a very sudden health problem popping up. Doing better now, but until things calm down a bit, it may be difficult to write.


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